A SHADOWY CHRISTMAS
by SANDEFUR
Summary: In Superman's earliest days, he faces a formidable foe.
1. Chapter 1

A SHADOWY CHRISTMAS

by

SANDEFUR

This is fan fiction just for fun. I have no claims.

(To those unaware, The Shadow was a superhero character from the age of radio who also had his own mystery magazine and even appeared in a few movies. His popularity dropped sharply in the age of television and he is now a rather obscure figure. He is remembered best for an eerie laugh followed by his tag line: "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows." For the purpose of this story, I have added my own touches to the legendary hero, like a meeting with Superman when he was a brand new hero.)

X-X-X-X-X

Wednesday, December 24, 1952. Early morning.

Lois Lane watches as the luxury airliner, a DC 3 converted to private corporate use, taxis to the awaiting hangar. They are not at the main airport, but at a private airfield where many charter companies do business. The plane comes to a complete halt and moments later the passenger door lowers and out steps the woman Lois has been eagerly waiting to greet…

"Aunt Margo!" Lois joyously calls out as she rushes toward her aunt.

Margo Lane, a beautiful, sophisticated woman of forty, returns the smile and embraces her niece. "Oh Lois, it's so good to see you again! How long has it been? Let's see, the last time we were together was your senior year of college and you were dating…a football player?"

Lois chuckles. "You'll have to be more specific. There were a lot of football players."

The two women laugh as Margo shivers a little. "Lois, can we move this reunion inside to the lounge? We just came from an assignment in Miami and it will take me awhile to get use to this chill."

"Of course Aunt Margo, but what about…?"

"Oh, Lamont will be busy arranging about the plane, seeing to the unloading of our luggage and making sure our limo is on time."

Lois nods and leads her aunt toward the small lounge provided for customers of Metropolis Metro Air. As they walk along, Lois takes a moment to look over the glamorous aunt she has admired all of her life. Although Lois only saw her aunt a few times growing up, due mostly to her father's disapproval of his kid sister's lifestyle, Margo Lane epitomized all that a woman should be to the young and impressionable Lois. Aunt Margo was (still is) a stunning beauty, even if her looks have faded just slightly as the years advance. But much more than that, Margo Lane was a successful career woman who made top money and travelled the world seeing everything and experiencing marvelous adventures. Growing up, little Lois Lane wanted nothing more than to be just like her aunt.

It wasn't until Lois was in her teens that she finally figured out why her old-fashioned, career soldier father so disapproved of Margo. It was sex. As the Director of Public Relations for Allard Industries, Margo often travelled alone with the company's president, Lamont Cranston, as they went all over the world conducting business for the mysterious Kent Allard, the millionaire (some say billionaire) recluse. It finally dawned on Lois during her high school years that the way Aunt Margo spoke so fondly of her boss, and the way she would look at him when he would pick her up after a family visit, that the two of them were lovers. (It also explained why Lamont Cranston was forbidden to step foot inside the Lane home.)

The two women enter the warmth of the lounge and Margo sighs with relief. Lois, who is use to the current weather, considered the outdoors fairly comfortable and this small lounge area much too warm. She immediately sheds her coat, but Margo remains wrapped up.

"Aunt Margo, are you feeling alright? I've never known you to be bothered by any sort of weather."

"I may be a little run down. '52 has been a hectic year for Lamont and me. Lois, I hope it isn't too much of an inconvenience for us to have dropped in so suddenly on you, especially at the holidays."

"Are you kidding? Your telegram was the best present I could have gotten for Christmas. I thought I was going to spend the holidays with no family around. After Mom passed away last year, and with Dad in Korea with his regiment, I was beginning to lose a sense of family."

"What about Lucy?"

"Well, freshman Lucy Lane thought it would be a lot more fun to go skiing at Sun Valley than spend semester break with her dull ol' sister. I can't say I blame her. I remember what it was like being off on your own for the first time – that heady sense of independence. Of course I'm not telling Dad that I agreed to let Lucy go away with friends."

Margo smiles and nods her agreement. "Probably wise. So how is The Colonel? Still as rigid and disapproving as always?"

"Dad is Dad, and you are not dragging me into the middle of the feud between the two of you."

"Oh, I didn't mean… Lois, I was actually thinking it would be nice if Sam was here this Christmas, because we could actually end the coldness between us. Even though it was a gift to me, I think my big brother would love to see what Lamont got me for Christmas…"

So saying, Margo removes her left glove and proudly displays a stunning engagement ring.

"Oh Aunt Margo, how wonderful!" Lois exclaims as she and Margo share another hug. "So, when…?"

"Tomorrow morning at St. Wendel's cathedral, right after Christmas mass. The archbishop is an old friend of Lamont's. It will be a very small and quick service, and...will you be my maid of honor?"

"Nothing could make me happier." Lois says as she helps the finally warm Margo out of her winter coat. Margo Lane has a figure that women half her age would envy, but Lois notices at the waistline her aunt now has a small, telltale bulge…

X-X-X-X-X

Outside, Lamont Cranston signs the last of many forms the manager of this facility has presented him with. His plane will be refueled, and stored in a private hanger with a shift of armed guards provided by Allard Industries. The manager seems remarkably unfazed by these unusual arrangements, and he confides that Mr. Cranston is the second customer this week to take similar precautions with his plane. In fact, he must be rushing along as that next customer will be arriving soon and he must be present to meet such an important man. With assurances that his men will bring their luggage around to the limo waiting at the front of the building, the obsequious little man hurries away.

Lamont watches and finds his curiosity aroused. As The Shadow, he has learned the value of being overly cautious, but he can't help but wonder what sort of man has a similar obsession about safety from potential enemies. He knows he shouldn't, after all Margo is waiting, but Lamont can't help but satisfy his curiosity. Using his ability to cloud men's minds, Lamont Cranston disappears from the view of the various workers around him as he follows the manager, Mr. Beadle. Of course he isn't truly invisible – only the ability of others to see him has been clouded from them. The proof of his true status comes in the form of his shadow, which is clearly visible. Lamont sticks to shadowy areas so that this visual anomaly will not be noticed.

As he follows Beadle to another area of the airfield, Lamont begins to feel a little guilty. He has no true reason to keep his fiancee waiting other than a gut feeling, but past experiences have taught him not to ignore such feelings. But…there are other things that Lamont feels guilty about when it comes to Margo. He has been with Margo Lane for 16 glorious years, and he has passionately loved her everyday of their relationship. He has shared all of his secrets with her and she has been an invaluable ally as he has fought evil in its' various forms, whether it be crime bosses, crooked politicians, Nazi saboteurs, Communist spies or even the occasional mad scientist. Margo even knows that his true identity is Kent Allard...

A wealthy young man and a proclaimed war hero as a triple ace, Kent came away from the 'War to end all wars' a shattered man. The horrors he experienced constantly haunted him, and he could not fit back into his old life of wealthy indugence. Kent Allard began travelling the world seeking meaning, seeking peace, seeking...redemption. At an obscure monastery in Tibet, one that normally could not be found by any man, Kent was accepted by an unusual brotherhood who shared a gift so powerful and so dangerous only a handful of the specially chosen were ever allowed to know their secret. For ten years he studied the meditation techniques that allows the brotherhood to control the quasi-magical ability of clouding men's minds. To those of weak minds or weak will, they can control as easily as a puppet on a string. Even those of strong minds and will they can hide from by seeming to disappear. Margo knows all of this, but the one secret Lamont has not shared with Margo is that the meditation technique that he still practices for two hours a day gives an added benefit to a man. The mind is freed from all stress while the body is freed of age inducing toxins. As a result, master monks in the monastery, men of 100 years, have the fit bodies of a man half that age.

Margo knows that Kent Allard is 55, but Lamont Cranston appears to be around 40. She assumes he is using his ability to make people think he looks younger, but actually, Lamont is using his ability to appear to age at the same rate as Margo. Physically, in terms of appearance and fitness, Lamont is no older than 25, and has the potential to remain that way for decades more. One of the reasons Kent Allard became Lamont Cranston was to avoid having to deceive old friends and loved ones about the status of his age. But, he never anticipated remaining as 'Lamont' for so long, or that he would fall in love... He was warned of this when he was at the monastery - to fall in love is to doom a woman to growing old in your arms, something few women are willing to endure. But now Margo is pregnant, and yes, he is aware that the 'slip' in their usual birth control was not quite so accidental. He isn't angry. He understands that in their younger days it seemed they had all of the time in the world, but now Margo is 40 and she desperately wants to settle down with a family before it is too late. She assumes that since he is 'older', he wants that too. He does, but the thought of giving up being The Shadow (another assumption on Margo's part) is not something he is prepared to face.

Lamont comes to a halt as he hears a loud screech in the sky. He looks up and sees the private plane that Mr. Beadle is waiting for, but...it is a jet! What the hell, a private jet? Only the military has jet planes, and even though some airlines are looking into the possibility of jet airliners in the distant future, none are currently available. The jet plane comes to a halt in front of the hangar reserved for it, and Lamont sees a contingent of armed guards is already standing by to secure the plane. An armored limousine pulls up, stairs come to the private plane and the door opens... Lamont can not help a small gasp of surprise. There he is, the most famous recluse on the planet, far better hidden than Kent Allard, which is harder to do since this man is so much better known.

Originally he came to the public's attention as The Boy Genius. Supposedly destined to be mankind's great hope for a better future as he was compared to a combination of DaVinci, Edison and Einstein all rolled into one. This man is credited with shortening the war by a couple of years as he brought astonishing advancements in radar, sonar, bomb sights, faster planes, that new thing called computers which could break any enemy's codes and of course, the Manhattan Project that created the atomic bomb. Then, five years ago at the age of 27, the boy genius was in a lab explosion that exposed him to a toxic cocktail of dangerous gasses. Outwardly he merely lost his hair, but inwardly there was a fundamental change in Lex Luthor.

An arrogant genius, Luthor went from basking in the limelight of his fame to becoming a bitter recluse who would never pose for pictures. Even sadder for mankind was the ending of the steady production of clever, beneficial inventions. Whatever Luthor is now working on has remained a secret to the general public, but The Shadow, through his worldwide network of informants, has heard some disturbing rumors. Luthor has been associating with a wide variety of international criminal gangs, and he has been collecting vast amounts of materials that can only be used in the production of weapons. Now he is in Metropolis, the hometown of that brand new hero, Superman. Why?

X-X-X-X-X

"I can't imagine what is keeping Lamont for so long." Margo Lane states, but she suspects the nature of this delay.

"That's okay Aunt Margo, I have the morning off and I'm glad we have this time together."

The two women are standing at the window and Lois has pointed out to her aunt the new Nash Rambler convertible she purchased a few months ago. Margo senses that Lois is subconsciously looking for her approval...

"It's a lovely car, Lois. Have I told you how proud of you I am? Only two years out of college and you are a features reporter with your own column and private office. That's more than most male journalists accomplish after ten years on the job."

Lois smiles. "Thank you, Aunt Margo. I did set the record at the Planet for fastest promotion on the job. Of course, records are meant to be broken..."

"Already?"

"Yes, a new man, Clark Kent, went right to the top practically his first day on the job. By coincidence he arrived in Metropolis at the same time Superman began making appearances, and Clark managed to get the first interview with Superman, which gave his career a swift boost. Clark still has the inside track when it comes to Superman stories and we frequently compete with each other."

"Then you've actually met this Superman? What's he like?"

"He is...impressive." Lois replies with a blush.

Margo smiles, taking Lois' meaning. "I hope I get a chance to meet him during our visit."

"Meet who?" a familiar voice says.

Lamont Cranston joins the ladies and he exchanges cheek kisses with Lois before placing his arm around Margo.

"It's good to see you again, Lois."

"You too, Mr. Cranston."

"None of that. Get use to calling me 'Uncle Lamont'. Margo, who is it you are looking forward to meeting?"

"Superman. Lois knows him."

"Indeed? We have heard so much about this 'Man of Steel'. Is he really as powerful as the reports claim?"

Lois answers, "The reports don't do him justice. Superman can fly, has super strength and speed, he is invulnerable and has other powers too long to list."

Lamont frowns slightly. "Impressive. He has no known weaknesses?"

"None. Does that concern you, uh...Uncle Lamont?"

"I can't help but think about that old line of power corrupting, and absolute power..."

"Superman isn't like that!" Lois hotly retorts. "He's a force for good."

Lamont, thinking of Luthor, replies, "He is starting out that way, but can we be sure he will stay that way? What if, over time, his behavior became corrupted? How could anyone ever stop him?"

"Sometimes you just have to trust that a good man is a good man, 'sir'."

Lamont, seeing that he is angering Lois, quickly changes the topic to the impending wedding. Soon harmony is restored, and minutes later the group go their separate ways with Lois driving into work and the engaged couple riding to a luxury hotel in the back of a limousine...

"That got awkward." Margo comments.

"I didn't mean to upset your niece. It's just over the years I've seen how power can become an addiction that warps men's nature. How can we be sure this 'Superman', no matter how good he is starting, won't become a danger in the future?"

"You're thinking of Shiwan Khan."

"Shiwan Khan was the only man ever to betray the brotherhood. He had the same training I did, seemingly had the same dedication to stamping out evil, but he turned bad and became my greatest enemy."

"But Khan has been dead for years. What set this off? Was it due to why you were late joining us?"

"I witnessed the arrival of Lex Luthor."

"Luthor!" Margo says with alarm. She is privy to all of The Shadow's information and knows what a potential threat Luthor is. "Wait, you're not planning to tackle Luthor as The Shadow, are you? Lamont, you promised..."

"I only said I would cut back on my activities in order to be there for you and the baby. I never promised to retire."

"But this is Metropolis. Surely Superman can handle Luthor."

"Maybe, but Superman is new to the hero business and a man like Luthor can be a formidable foe. Besides, I think Superman is why Luthor is here."

"What do you mean?"

"The driving force in Luthor's personality is to prove his superiority to all others. Whatever evil plot he is planning, it is designed to best Superman. What if Luthor's genius has come up with a way to kill Superman? Or worse..."

"What could be worse than killing Superman?"

"Finding a way to take control of him and making Superman his pawn. If that ever happened, Lex Luthor could rule the world."

To Be Continued.

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	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

A SHADOWY CHRISTMAS

X-X-X-X-X

Lois Lane hurries down the hall to her office, drops off her hat, coat and purse before proceeding to Clark Kent's office…

"Good morning, Clark. I'm back."

Clark glances at the clock and smiles. "Good morning Lois, but just barely."

"Sorry, my errand took a little longer than I anticipated. Have you been swamped?"

"On Christmas Eve? Crime reports are practically non-existent, and even the politicians are behaving themselves. It seems everyone wants to stay off of Santa's naughty list."

"Then we're stuck with the Christmas standards: hot meals for the homeless, gift baskets and warm clothes for the poor and the results of the annual toy drive. Speaking of which, that particular charity is near and dear to Mr. White's heart and he wants to review my story before I send it to the city desk."

Lois starts to leave but pauses, "Uh Clark, I know the unmarried staff are suppose to pitch in and help with the paper during the holidays…"

"You want to take off again?"

"Just in the morning, again. I wouldn't ask if it weren't really important. My Aunt Margo is getting married tomorrow and she asked me to stand up with her."

Clark smiles again. "Lois, that's wonderful. I'll be glad to cover for you. This is the aunt you've told me about – the one who works for Allard Industries?"

"That's right. She's marrying the company president, Lamont Cranston."

"I've certainly heard of Cranston, he has quite a reputation as a wheeler-dealer, but with ethics. I wonder, could an event like this draw out Cranston's recluse boss, Kent Allard? Getting an interview with him would be quite a scoop, especially on such a normally slow news day."

"Intriguing…and hey, if Allard does show up, that story is mine!"

"Even though I'm the one doing you a favor?"

Lois blushes a little but firmly states, "Even so."

Clark chuckles. "Okay Lois, it's all yours, if Allard shows up. But, turnaround time, I need to cut out an hour early tomorrow afternoon. So can you cover for me? I'm meeting…someone, for Christmas dinner."

"Of course. Er, Clark, is this 'someone'…a woman?"

"Definitely, and that's all I will have to say on the subject."

"Okay Clark, I'll respect your privacy, and now I really have to get going."

Lois exits Clark's office and nearly bumps into Jimmy Olsen. She only vaguely hears his cheery "Good morning, Miss Lane." As Lois walks down the hall, she wonders about this unknown woman Clark is having dinner with tomorrow night, and why does she feel the tiniest stab of jealousy?

Jimmy enters Clark's office and places a small stack of papers on his desk. "The latest reports from the city desk – all of it pretty dull stuff."

"Thanks, Jimmy."

" Mr. Kent, did Miss Lane seem distracted to you?"

"Possibly. Lois is attending a wedding tomorrow and that can occupy any woman's mind." Clark says with a smile as he wonders if Lois was distracted by the news he would be having dinner with 'a woman'. Of course he could hardly admit that as Superman he will be flying all the way to Kansas tomorrow to spend Christmas evening with his widowed mother, and will be bringing her a special present – her first TV set!

Jimmy accepts the copy for Clark's latest story, and as he returns to the newsroom Clark begins sifting through the latest in police reports, teletype info from various news agencies and tips called in by local residents. Jimmy is right, all routine, dull stuff except… Clark goes over a half dozen noise complaints from people living around Metropolis Commercial Airfield, all of whom are wondering: since when do jets fly into the city?

The reports are odd enough to stir Clark's curiosity. The military wouldn't be landing at a commercial airfield, and who else has jets? Clark decides to check out the reports – it won't take but a few minutes for him to fly there as Superman. Clark leaves his office, carefully checks the hallway and moments later Superman flies out of the open window of the supply room.

X-X-X-X-X

"Right this way, Mr. Cranston."

Lamont follows Dr. Carver down the long, sterile corridors of the Metropolis Stroke Center. He feels a growing nervousness as they approach the room of an old friend. One year ago Jericho Bluke, a long time ally of The Shadow, suddenly collapsed after a major stroke. The strongest man Lamont has ever met, the enormous Jericho on several occasions used those mighty muscles to save The Shadow's life, including that last battle with the evil Shiwan Khan. To see Jericho cut down by a sudden medical condition, to see him become so weak and helpless he needed a heart-lung machine to stay alive, has been an enormous shock for Lamont.

This once again went back to his training in Tibet when he was warned not to form close friendships for those around you will subcumb to the ravages of time. After the stroke, Lamont had Jericho transferred to this facility, which is the cutting edge treatment center in the world for stroke victims. There he learned that men of African heritage were more likely to experience a stroke than any others, and the greatest degree of recovery would come during the first year.

"Are you sure he is up to this?" Lamont asks.

"Attending your wedding? Of course. You will be surprised by how much progress Mr. Bluke has made in his recovery. He still mostly uses a wheelchair, but he can stand and travel short distances with the aid of a brace and cane. He can mostly dress himself, uses the facilities on his own and his speech has recovered...some."

"Some?"

"The words are still heavily slurred, but if you listen closely you can make out most of what he says. Considering he could only make noises when he arrived..."

"Yes, thank you Doctor, I appreciate all that you and your staff have done."

They pause outside a private room, and after a courtesy knock, they enter. In the one year since Lamont has seen Jericho, he imagined this reunion many times. Always he has had the highest hopes for his old friend, but the moment he sees Jericho, those hopes are dashed. A year ago this was a giant of a man who could toss other men around as if they were rag dolls. Now...he sags. The huge muscles are turning into flab, and there is no question about which side of his body has been afflicted. Lamont moves closer, automatically offering his right hand, but realizes his mistake and switches to the left as he reaches Jericho.

They shake hands and Lamont has to admit there is still some of the old strength in that grip, but it is all he can do not to cry at the sad sight of this broken, former strongman...

"Hello Jericho, it's so good to see you again."

Jericho replies, but the words are too slurred for Lamont to be sure what was said. He thinks it was 'Hello, Mr. Cranston'.

"So how are they treating you, old friend? Plenty of pretty nurses to flirt with?"

Lamont wishes he hadn't attempted a joke. Jericho's responding, lop-sided smile is heart breaking. Before Jericho can try to talk again, Lamont hastily adds...

"I have some good news. After much begging, Margo finally agreed to marry me. We are getting hitched in a small, private ceremony tomorrow. Dr. Carver says you are well enough to attend, if you are willing?"

Slowly, with great effort, Jericho replies, "Glad...to."

"Would you be willing to be my best man?"

The lop-sided smile again, followed by an emphatic nod.

"Excellent. I've made the necessary arrangements, and Dr. Carver will see that you are at the church on time. I hate to make this such a flying visit, but I left Margo napping back at the hotel. See you tomorrow, old friend."

They shake hands again, and with an effort Jericho repeats, "To-mor-row..."

Lamont leaves the room hating himself for being so disturbed by Jericho's condition. In fact the giant of a man has made remarkable progress, although at this stage the doctors don't expect a lot more improvement. Lamont shakes his head, wondering how life can be so unfair. Why, Jericho is only...forty seven? A stab of guilt goes through Lamont. He should have insisted that Jericho retire years ago, certainly no later than forty. The demands and strains of maintaining such vast strength at his age must have placed a terrible toll on the man's body. Maybe he could have been spared all of this if Lamont had remembered that those around him are aging much faster than he.

X-X-X-X-X

Back at the Daily Planet, Perry White reviews the story Lois has written on the Metropolis Toy Drive. Perry remembers all too well his own childhood and how a 'good' Christmas would consist of warm socks, new underwear and maybe a piece of candy. He smiles at the details of the story, glad that the people of Metropolis have been so generous this year. Of course it didn't hurt that Superman made a personal appeal on behalf of this cause.

"Wonderful story, Lois. Run it unchanged."

"Thanks, Mr. White. People were certainly in a giving mood this year."

Perry puffs on his cigar before replying, "As they say: 'Tis the season'. People get generous this time of year. Why, even certain newspaper publishers have been known not to dock a reporter's pay for taking off from work on Christmas Eve morning."

"Oh, you heard about that?"

"There isn't much that happens at the Planet that I don't hear about. How is your aunt?"

"Happy. She's getting married tomorrow morning to her boss, Mr. Cranston. Uh Chief..."

"Yes, yes you can attend. So your aunt was lucky enough to snag Lamont Cranston. An impressive catch."

"I like to think Mr. Cranston is the lucky one."

"Of course. I wonder...will Kent Allard be attending? He's been out of the public spotlight for years."

"I'm aware and I plan to keep an eye out for him, even though no one has taken a picture of him for a very long time."

"Actually, I know Mr. Allard."

"How, Mr. White?"

"Back in the First World War, before we knew it would be numbered, I served in the signal corps, assigned to a balloon detachment. Our job was to float a mile above the lines with high powered telescopes, watching for enemy movements. Of course we were an easy, favorite target for enemy airplanes. Our air force always assigned a couple of fighters to help protect us, but most of those flyboys were unreliable. They loved to chase the enemy too much. Fortunately Allard was the responsible type. He was there in the nick of time when a German Fokker tried to shoot me down - saved my life."

"Mr. White, how would you like to attend my aunt's wedding? I can't guarantee Kent Allard will be there..."

"Thank you Lois, I'd love to come even if I don't get to thank again the man who saved me."

X-X-X-X-X

Superman flys over the city's commercial airfield, scanning the many hangars with his x-ray vision. In one he spots the DC 3 assigned to the personal use of the Allard company's president, Lamont Cranston. Superman's quick scan of the airplane shows a very well hidden compartment with two identical boxes, each containing a set of dark clothing and matching pairs of .45 automatics.

Superman is curious about this but supposes Cranston, on business, sometimes travels to parts of the world where a hidden gun might come in handy. Superman continues searching until he comes to one of the largest hangars. Inside there is an object that is aircraft shaped, but it is covered with a thick netting that is made of woven lead wires. Such a cumbersome netting can only be designed to block his x-ray vision. Superman lands at the main door of the hangar, but immediately a squad of heavily armed men block his path.

"That's far enough, Superman. This is private property and you are trespassing."

The head guard has the look of an experienced soldier, but clearly he and his men are nervous about facing the Man of Steel.

"Now what could be in that hangar that requires so many guards?"

"I'm sorry sir, but that is confidential. Look, we realize we don't have a chance of stopping Superman if you choose to force your way in, but you will be breaking the law, as that gentleman can verify."

Superman turns and sees an approaching, uniformed policeman from the Metropolis police force. The cop looks miserable about the situation he finds himself in.

"Hello Officer Roberts, what brings you here?"

A brief expression of pride crosses Roberts' face as he realizes Superman knows his name. "Superman, as you know, off duty cops often earn extra money doing security work. With the expense of the holidays I found myself short, so when I got a generous offer for a few hours work helping to guard this hangar, I snapped up the job. There are other cops scheduled to be here later so that there will always be a police presence."

"Whoever owns the plane inside figured that I might be willing to go through some private guards, but I wouldn't defy police authority." Superman says as his x-ray vision searches the records in the nearby main office. All he learns is that the plane is registered to an unknown British company, Leeway Limited.

"I'm sorry Superman, but what 'Mister' Tanner has told you is correct. If you enter that hangar, I will have to try to arrest you. I...have no choice."

Superman nods. "Well, since I prefer not to spend Christmas in jail, I guess I'll be on my way. Oh, and Tanner is it? You can tell your boss, whoever he might be, this isn't over."

With three quick steps, Superman launches himself into the air and is soon gone from view. The head guard, Tanner, turns to Officer Roberts...

"Thanks for your help."

"I was doing my duty, but don't think I won't be reporting the strange goings-on here to my captain. Don't be surprised if you get a visit from city detectives."

"And if they ever come up with probable cause, they can get a search warrant."

Roberts turns and walks away, returning to the warmth of the office and a simmering coffee pot. He will also be making that call to his captain, reporting that someone is using the M.P.D. to impede an investigation by Superman.

Now alone, Tanner removes a radio from his pocket that is more sophisticated than any available in commerce or by the military. He speaks a brief message knowing it won't be answered... "Boss, 'he' was here. All secure."

X-X-X-X-X

The entire top floor of the ultra luxurious Parkside Hotel has been rented out to a company called Leeway Limited, with one occupant - Lex Luthor. The bald scientist knows that his presence in Metropolis won't remain a secret for long, but he doesn't care. In twenty four hours phase one of his plan will be complete. After that, he can remove himself from the shadows for all the world to see...and bow down to. Lex goes to the window and uses a pair of binoculars to scan the sky. He has been hoping to catch a glimpse of Superman, the same as any tourist visitng Metropolis, but no luck. It doesn't matter for tomorrow at this time he will know precisely where Superman will be - his whole plan depends on that.

Luthor lowers his gaze to examine something else. It isn't the famous park, the view of which demands a premium price at this hotel. No, Lex is interested in the large, marble building on the other side of the park. It is the Metropolis Mint where U.S. currency is made, reserves of cash are kept and old bills are exchanged for new ones. At this time of the year, the mint will be bulging with money - 300 million by Luthor's estimate. It will be the most spectacular robbery in history, for Lex intends to not only take the cash, but the printing plates, special ink & paper, and all of the records that keep track of how much money has been printed and what their serial numbers are.

Luthor chuckles at the simplicity of his plan. With the ability to endlessly make perfect, actual greenbacks, American currency will soon become worthless. The nation will be tossed into chaos, the government will fall and he, Lex Luthor, rightful ruler of the world, will step forward with his private army and seize control. Once the U.S.A. is his to command, the rest of the world's nations will fall like so many dominoes. World leaders will scramble to surrender their countries to his rule in the hopes of keeping their cushy jobs as 'royal governors'. All will bow down before him...

Lex winces as a pain goes through his head and he hears the faint whisper of his conscience telling him that he is mad and needs to seek help. Luthor suppresses the 'little voice' he sometimes hears. There is no need to listen as the feeble sounds only come to him during these rare times of headaches, which is another side effect of the same chemical explosion that cost him his hair. The pain ends and Luthor is restored, prepared to do whatever he must to fulfill his great destiny.

Now where was he? Oh yes, the raid on the mint. It will be swift. The robbery will nearly be over before the police even become aware of what is happening. The local cops will be no match for the size of the force he has marshalled, and the military will react much too slowly to be of any help. Only Superman can stop such a massive, daring attack, and of course the Man of Steel will hastily come to end the crime of the century. He must be there for Luthor has devised a plan (using his new, special equipment) that will make Superman his slave. And to think, he owes all of this to the lucky find of a private journal kept by an obscure criminal who died years ago - a master of mental manipulation named...Shiwan Khan.

To Be Continued.

Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

A SHADOWY CHRISTMAS

X-X-X-X-X

Archie Tanner patrols the area around the hangar that holds his boss's jet, making certain that his men are staying on their toes. Tanner has been rotating his squad four hours on, four off during this very long day. Tanner himself has been awake and on duty the entire time as he considers himself above the petty weakness of exhaustion. Confirming that all is well, Tanner heads for the Metro Air office for another cup of coffee. He pauses when he hears the bells of a distant church tolling out the midnight hour…one, two, three, four…

Tanner mutters, "Merry freakin' Chr…"

Tanner blinks a few times, vaguely aware that something is odd. Oh yeah, the church bells – they stopped at four. Why not the full twelve? He looks at his watch, one of the most accurate in the world, and is surprised to see that it is now two minutes after midnight. What the hell? Did he just fall asleep for a couple of minutes? Shaking his head in disbelief and muttering under his breath, Tanner decides instead of more coffee, he will take a brief nap.

Meanwhile, still clouding the minds of the guards, The Shadow enters the hangar using the keys he 'borrowed' from Tanner. It wasn't hard to briefly take control of the man's mind and have him surrender the keys, adding a post-hypnotic suggestion that he will not notice that they are missing. Having already made an unfruitful, unseen search of the office records, he decided he had to see what was inside Luthor's jet. Once inside the hangar, The Shadow uses a flashlight to examine the interior, which is dominated by Luthor's plane. He is surprised to see there is a mesh netting over the plane and it appears to be made of…lead?

Not knowing what to make of this, The Shadow makes his way to the front of the plane and climbs the stairs that go up to the front hatch. Using another key, he enters the plane and is immediately disappointed by what he sees. He expected some sort of harem in the sky, a mansion with wings, or perhaps even a flying laboratory, but the incredibly advanced aircraft is purely a cargo carrier. Now why would Luthor go to all of the trouble of designing and building a private, highly advanced jet just for the purpose of hauling cargo, especially since it draws so much attention? Duh, that's why. Luthor's massive ego requires non-stop admiration and awe from lesser beings.

The Shadow briefly examines the cargo section and finds a large number of metal-banded crates with serial numbers on them. He is curious, but it would take heavy tools and a lot of time to open these well secured boxes. He wouldn't be able to sufficiently cloud the minds of the men outside long enough to complete such a noisy inspection. He moves on to the cockpit section and finds only two seats for pilot and co-pilot. Yes, now that he thinks of it, he only saw Luthor leaving the plane this morning, so he must have flown the jet all by himself. The only other thing he finds of interest is a metal storage locker awkwardly squeezed in by the door to the cargo section. It clearly is an addition and not part of the original design. The lock on the door is of industrial strength and beyond the ability of all but a handful of experts to pick.

Feeling that he has no choice, The Shadow pulls one of his .45 automatics from beneath his black trench coat and takes aim. He will have to be quick... The shot rings out and the lock is smashed away by the bullet. Immediately voices begin crying out as to where did that shot come from? It was inside the hangar! The Shadow opens the locker hoping to find something worth all of this effort and risk, but once again he is disappointed. Technical manuals - dozens of them with numbers that correspond to the numbered crates in the cargo section. He quickly glances through them, but there isn't time to learn much. All of the crates back there have components that go together to form some sort of complicated machine, the nature of which he can't even guess at. No doubt Luthor understands every tiny detail, but these manuals are written for men of lesser intelligence who will assemble the machine in an easy step one - two - three method.

Fists are pounding on the doors to the hangar, but there will be a delay as he has the only keys. The Shadow is about to leave when he notices that his bullet didn't just shoot the lock off, but continued and hit the bottom of the locker...revealing a secret compartment. He prys up the lid and finds a heavy strongbox. Time is growing short as he hears the guards outside forcing one of the doors with crowbars. He grabs the strongbox and exits the plane just as the guards force their way in. For just a moment a couple of guards think they see movement, but no, it is just a trick of the shadows. They rush for the plane as The Shadow slips unseen right by them, pausing only to return Archie Tanner's keys to his pocket...

X-X-X-X-X

A short time later Superman flies overhead as a part of his nightly patrol. He intended at this late hour to see if he could slip by the guards at superspeed and find out what is up with the mysterious jet. But no luck - the guards are out in full force making a detailed sweep of the area. Listening with his super-hearing, Superman learns that just minutes before there was an intruder who somehow made it by the guards and was actually on the plane. Superman pauses to monitor the situation, but the intruder seems to have gotten away. What is going on?

Superman would like to linger longer, hoping to get more details, but he has the rest of the city to patrol. Besides, as Clark Kent, he has a few developing leads that may pan out tomorrow before he has to leave for Smallville to be with his mother on Christmas. Superman flies away, and on the ground Archie Tanner notices the distinctive sound of Superman's flight. Could it be...the Big Red S was their unknown visitor?

X-X-X-X-X

The ringing phone awakens Lex Luthor with an unhappy groan. The comfort of the silk sheets in this luxurious suite were giving him a rare night of nightmare free slumber. Lex glances at the clock and realizes that at this late hour, only his chief of security would be calling with bad news...

"Tanner?"

"Sorry to wake you Boss, but we've had an intruder."

"Who?"

"Unknown, but Superman was definitely in the area at the time."

"But you don't think he was the intruder?"

"No sir. The cockpit storage locker was broken into, and somebody used a gun to blow off the lock."

"Then it definitely wasn't Superman. Any damage to the equipment?"

"No sir, but there seems to be a hidden compartment at the bottom of the locker that is empty."

Luthor curses for several moments. "This is bad. Potentially disastrous."

"Sir, is there anything I can do?"

"Nothing. Continue to guard the equipment. We will proceed as planned, striking at sunset. Oh, and Tanner, Merry Christmas." Luthor says with recognizable irony.

Luthor hangs up the phone and stares out the window at some lightly drifting snow. The book hidden in the lead strongbox is the most valuable item he owns, and if one of his enemies has found it... No, even with the book in their possession, it will be useless to them unless they can translate an obscure Tibetan dialect...

X-X-X-X-X

Margo Lane sits up in bed waiting for the return of her lover, just as she has done countless times before. Her fear eases as the connecting door to the next suite opens and in steps a man dressed in a black trenchcoat, wearing a slouch hat pulled low over his eyes and with a red scarf covering his lower face - enter The Shadow.

"Well, you made it back alive - again."

"I'm sorry I'm late my darling, but..."

"But duty called. Lamont, how much longer is this going to go on? You have a responsibility to me and the child I'm carrying. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

Lamont Cranston removes the hat and scarf before sitting on the bed next to his fiancee. "Margo, nothing is more important to me than you and our child, but that doesn't mean other matters cease to be important."

Margo folds her arms and turns her head away. "At least I'm somewhere on your list of priorities. Really Lamont, why can't you leave this Luthor business to Superman? Lois says the reporter she works with, Clark...somebody, can sometimes contact the Man of Steel."

"I would gladly turn over to Superman this 'Luthor business', but I can't just walk away without shirking my oath to fight evil."

"Your oath - your oath! Lamont, my dear, don't you see it's time to give it up? I know you keep yourself fit, but you are not a young man anymore. It's time to let the next generation of heroes take over. I know they are young and inexperienced, but so were you at one time. Beloved, don't you see it is time to retire and concentrate on your new family?"

Lamont sighs, again regretting the secret that is between them. Years ago, when he first realized he loved Margo, he offered to train her in the manner he had gone through, but she laughed off the idea before he could explain the benefits. The thought of ten years of demanding exercise, starvation diets, sexual abstinence and endless hours of meditation seemed a foolish choice to a young woman in her twenties. Now, if he told her the truth, Margo would hate him for not insisting, and truthfully, he was relieved back then by her rejection of the training. It was a grueling process that was designed to fundamentally change you. No one came out the other side without being a new person, and who knows if that Margo would still have been in love with him? In all of the history of the Brotherhood, only Shiwan Khan emerged trained but unchanged - the same cruel, madman he had always been.

"I brought you a gift."

Margo turns back to him. "Oh...?"

Lamont removes the lead box from under his trenchcoat.

"Oh. Alright, fetch my lockpicks."

From the bottom of her jewelry case Lamont gets a set of professional lockpicks. He can do it, usually, but Margo is much better at this task than he. It takes Margo only a few moments before there is a click that tells she has been successful with the lock.

"Wait..." Lamont says as he removes a piece of plastic from the lockpick case.

"A booby trap?"

"Luthor is that kind of man." Lamont replies as he slides the plastic along the inner edge of the box until they hear a 'snap' sound. Lamont raises the lid and they see the plastic is separating two wires that if they had made contact...

"Hmph. Just a small bomb and a smelly old book."

Lamont removes the book and opens it. "A hand written journal in the obscure dialect of the monastery. There aren't a hundred people left in the world who speak this."

"Lamont, that handwriting, isn't that..."

"The writing of Shiwan Khan." Lamont says as he hastily goes through the journal. "I don't know why I'm surprised. Khan was always a rule breaker, and keeping a diary that details the process we went through was the ultimate taboo."

"This book tells how to cloud men's minds, and somehow Luthor got his hands on it? Does this mean...?"

"That Luthor has the same ability as me? No, a man like him isn't the type to submit himself to a training master. Besides, Luthor has only been out of the public eye for five years. That isn't nearly long enough to accomplish training."

"Then we are safe?"

Lamont thinks of the many crates on Luthor's plane and the mysterious machine that the components create. "Luthor would not go through the training process, but with his scientific bent he might use the information in this journal to devise a machine that duplicates the ability."

"Is that possible?"

"With anyone else I would say no, but Lex Luthor is in a catagory all by himself. I think he has his machine and is ready to test it."

"On Superman?"

"Normally any sane crook would flee from an encounter with Superman, but Luthor's ego demands he prove his superiority. If Luthor can gain control of Superman..."

"He can rule the world."

X-X-X-X-X

Christmas morning, early.

Lois Lane waits outside the front of her apartment building and is soon rewarded by the sight of a Packard pulling up to the curb beside her. Lois hops in and quickly closes the door.

"Brr, it's getting cold. Merry Christmas, Mr. White."

"Merry Christmas, Lois. There's a present on the seat next to you."

Lois smiles. "You didn't have to, but I'm glad you did. Oh...earrings! They're beautiful. Thank you, Perry."

"You're welcome."

Lois removes a wrapped box from her purse. "And I have something for you. I don't want to disturb your driving so I'll tell you they are cigars. They're not your usuals, but my father says these Cubans are an excellent brand."

"I look forward to giving them a try. Have you heard from your aunt this morning?"

"Yes, she checked in and everything is proceeding as planned. I told her you were coming and she was glad to have you included. Aunt Margo says she isn't anticipating Kent Allard being there, but you never know."

"Well, I hope he comes. Not only do I want to thank him again for saving my life, but I wouldn't mind talking over the old days with a fellow vet."

"And maybe get a story for the Planet about what he has been doing with his life all of these years?"

Perry smiles. "Icing on the cake."

X-X-X-X-X

In his bed at the Parkside Hotel, Lamont Cranston is tossing and turning as he experiences a nightmare. To any observer, it looks like Lamont's face is constantly changing from one identity to another, from one age to another. He moans in dismay as he finds himself back in the most horrid part of his life.

Shortly prior to America jumping into the war on the British/French side, Kent Allard and his three best friends, all experienced pilots who belonged to a flying club, joined the army air corps in anticipation of combat. They were all sons of wealthy men, bored with life and constantly searching for adventure. This war would be their ultimate thrill, something to look back on and brag to their grandkids about. Besides Kent there was Freddie, and the Skylar twins, Bill and Bob. With their exisiting flying skills, they were some of the first to be sent to fly in Europe.

Kent relives that first combat patrol and the first German he encountered. It was like something out of the middle ages when two knights, filled with honor and courage, would do personal battle - only in the sky rather than on horseback. When he shot down the more experienced German, he actually saluted and added a pithy: 'Well fought, old chap'. God, he was a pompous ass in those early days. It was killing, but it was so wrapped up in glory and patriotism, it didn't seem real. The next day, when his squadron was sent to strafe an advancing German infantry column, killing became all too real as dozens of men were torn apart by the bullets from his machine guns.

From then on the war was harshly real to Kent and his friends, especially when those around them began to die in one aerial battle after another. They advanced quickly in rank, the four golden boys, but eventually the war caught up with them as first Freddie and then Bob died in firery crashes. Only a month away from the end of the war, Kent was now a major and was determined that he and Bill Skylar would survive this nightmare. He chose an easy patrol for him and his remaining friend, guarding observation balloons a mile back from the front lines.

Kent was familiar with the popular air attack of balloon popping. It didn't add to your count of enemy aircraft shot down, but it was fun. It became a bit of a game that allied and German pilots all played. You flew toward the balloon, the observer seeing the danger would parachute out, and your guns would destroy the balloon with a satisfying 'pop'. For awhile there was one German balloonist that Kent shot down every week. They even got into the habit of waving at each other before the fellow bailed out. Rare good fun, until that last time when his chute didn't open.

On that particular day in early October of 1918, Major Allard and Lieutenant Skylar were guarding a dozen balloons with observers who watched the Germans every move and reported it down below by telegraph. They easily spotted the enemy triplane as it made its' run for one of the balloons. They waited at a higher altitude knowing that it would be easier to dive and double team the German just as he was distracted by the balloon pop. Almost too late, they realized the green signal corps soldier wasn't going to make a jump to safety, but for some reason was staying at his post. Signaling Bill to stay where he was, Kent sent his plane into a very steep dive that nearly tore the wings off of his plane. Even as he was destroying the German plane with well placed machine gun bursts, Kent could see the balloonist frantically telegraphing a message. No doubt the man spotted some minor German troop movement, and in his mind it was a win-the-war kind of moment.

Returning to his original altitude, Kent looked for his friend, but Bill Skylar was nowhere to be seen. Kent never learned what happened to Bill in the few minutes he was out of his sight. Was there a second German? A mistake made by allied anti-aircraft units on the ground? Or perhaps a simple mechanical failure? Whatever the reason, Bill's body was found later that day in the burned out wreckage of his plane. In the same hour that he learned the fate of his last childhood friend, that bubble headed soldier from the balloon, a man named White, tracked him down and wrung his hand with gratitude while thanking Kent over and over for saving his life. It took all of Major Allard's self-restraint not to beat the man senseless.

In that last month of the war Kent earned the nickname of, 'The Mad Major.' With an I-give-up attitude, and a desire to join his friends in death, he began taking outrageous chances. Despite defying all odds and reason (plus a lot of heavy drinking) Kent managed to survive until 11:00 a.m. on November 11th when the Armistice came and the war suddenly shut itself off. Sent home with a chest full of medals and a hero's welcome, Kent Allard was now a bitter, angry man consumed by guilt. He led his best friends into an insane war with no more thought than when he use to lead them to the latest nightclub. All dead. All his fault. Only the planning of his suicide brought him a tiny bit of peace...

"Lamont! Lamont, wake up!"

Lamont Cranston opens his eyes and moans as he transitions from the dream world to...reality? He sees Margo standing next to his bed dressed in a stylish white and pink Chanel suit. She looks beautiful, except for the look of great concern on her face...

"Lamont, are you okay? You were yelling in your sleep and thrashing about like you were being tortured."

"It felt like it. What a strange nightmare."

"Since when do you get nightmares?"

"I don't - at least I haven't in decades. I was back in the war...the first one. I haven't dreamed of those times since I was in the monastery. Hey, you're already dressed."

"Because it's time to go. I came to your room to find out what was keeping you."

"I'm sorry, Margo. What a way to start Christmas, not to mention our wedding day. I'll get ready as quickly as I can."

"I'll give you some privacy. You really shouldn't be seeing the bride anyway."

"Well, she looks lovely."

Margo smiles and heads back to her room, but she can't help wonder if Lamont's nightmare is a bad omen for them. As the door closes, Lamont wonders the same thing.

X-X-X-X-X

Five floors up in the penthouse, Lex Luthor is hosting a breakfast buffet while briefing his team of men on the crime they plan for later that day. Lex finds himself in a surprisingly good mood despite the security breach of last night and the tension of today's operation. Perhaps it is because he is eager to see the effects of his mind control machine on Superman. Or perhaps it is because, for the first time in years, Lex had a night without any bad dreams.

"Gentlemen, time for your reports. Tanner?"

"The moving van arrives in an hour at the hangar and the crates of equipment are already being unstrapped."

"And the intruder?"

"No trace. Sorry sir, but it's as if he came and went like magic. No one saw anything, and if he hadn't fired a gun to get into the storage locker, we never would have known he was there." Tanner says as he hands over the recovered bullet.

"Hmm, a .45? For years I've heard rumors of a certain man...an urban myth about a mysterious crime fighter who carries a pair of .45's."

Tanner excitedly adds, "Me too. I have old friends in prison who swear that he's real, this man known as...as..."

For just a moment silence falls upon the group as several of the men present are about to say a certain name, but suddenly it eludes them.

Luthor coughs. "It doesn't matter, we are not in the business of myths. Back to the reality of tonight's robbery..."

As the briefing continues, dealing with manpower, weaponry, escape routes and more, every man present forgets that for just a moment they were about to mention...The Shadow.

To Be Continued.

Please review.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

A SHADOWY CHRISTMAS

X-X-X-X-X

Lois Lane looks on as Mr. & Mrs. Cranston kiss as a married couple for the first time. It is obvious that the two love each other, and even though Lois is happy for her aunt, she cannot help an uneasy feeling when she contemplates her new uncle. She doesn't know why. The marriage ceremony over, a small private affair in the Archbishop's office, the small gathering of guests rushes forward to congratulate the happy couple. Lois notes that the first person Lamont speaks to is his best man, the large African gentleman who has just returned to his wheelchair. Lamont hands him a small package and whispers something in his friend's ear.

Perry White, standing at the rear of the room, has been disappointed by the no-show of Kent Allard, but it was a nice ceremony and he doesn't regret he came. Across the room Lamont pauses to concentrate on Perry whom he easily recognized from the war even though it has been 34 years since they last met…

"Hello, Corporal White."

"So you did come." Perry says after turning and pausing to shake Allard's hand. The man looks much the same as he did years ago, but with gray hair like himself.

"I wouldn't miss the wedding of two of my favorite people. What brings you here?"

"I was hoping to see you again. I've had a good life since the war, and I never forget that it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't saved me that day."

"I was just doing my duty, but I've always been curious – why didn't you bail out of the balloon when you saw the danger? I know you were sending a message, but you could have delivered it in person when you got on the ground."

Perry blushes. "That was my first time up and I was so nervous…I forgot my parachute. I never made that mistake again! But what about you, Major? Why the life of a recluse?"

Allard sighs. "Not all of us returned from the war able to deal with our old lives. I found it easier to remain in the shadows and let Lamont take over my business interests. I still find it difficult to deal with groups of people. I hope you can understand why I am not staying for the celebration."

Perry looks toward the blissful couple. "I suppose, and I'm sorry the war left you so…unhappy, but surely you will at least wish them good luck?"

Perry waits, expecting a response. When he gets none he looks back and is surprised to see Kent Allard is gone. Perry shrugs, glad at least that he got to thank the man again. He is unaware the 'conversation' he just had occurred entirely in his own mind courtesy of the power of The Shadow.

As the brief celebration continues with cake and coffee, a uniformed bellboy from the Parkside Hotel makes a nervous entrance. He goes over to Lamont and hands him a telegram.

"Mr. Cranston, this overseas wire arrived for you and per your instructions, I was sent with it immediately."

Lamont accepts the envelope and hands the boy a generous tip. "Thank you, son."

The bellboy looks at the size of the tip and beams with a smile. "Thank you, sir! And, Merry Christmas!"

The bellboy exits while Lamont opens the envelope and reads the wire. As he crumples the message and tosses it into a wastebasket, Margo comes closer and whispers to her new husband…

"Bad news?"

"I had our financial manager in London investigate Leeway Limited, the supposed owner of the jet Luthor arrived in. He had to spread a few bribes around but he learned that 'Leeway' has been sending a lot of money to Metropolis, paying for the top floor of the Parkside Hotel. All of this time Luthor has been only five floors above us!"

"What are you going to do?"

Lamont whispers back, "The Shadow is going to have to follow wherever Luthor is sending his mind control machine. I have to know if it works and how big of a threat it is. You my dear are not going back to our hotel. Find somewhere else to stay, and don't tell me where."

"But why?"

"I don't know how powerful this machine of Luthor's is, and I can't be sure I couldn't be forced to reveal your location."

"Then I will go with you. Lamont, I've shared the risks before."

"You were never carrying our child before. Come, let us say our goodbyes…"

X-X-X-X-X

In his office Clark Kent reviews a teletype sent by the Planet's foreign correspondent in London. It took some doing, but Clark's colleague managed to learn that Leeway Limited has been funneling a lot of money to America, including large payments to the Parkside Hotel for the entire top floor. Clark realizes this must be where the mysterious 'Boss' of the men guarding the jet is staying. Clark decides it might be nice if Superman paid a visit to this man and wished him a Merry Christmas. Clark stands, about to hurry to the supply closet, but before he can take a step, Jimmy Olsen rushes in carrying his camera.

"Mr. Kent..." Jimmy breathlessly exclaims.

"Calm down, Jimmy. What's up?"

"A huge fire at the refinery on the edge of town. We're so short handed today the city editor is sending ME to cover it!" the eager cub reporter replies.

"Okay Jimmy, get going and good luck with your first big story. I'll be here to handle the rewrite when you call it in."

Jimmy barely hears the last part as he is already running for the elevator. Clark smiles at his young friend's excitement, but then frowns as he thinks of a fire at a major refinery. Dozen of lives could be at stake. The mysterious guest at the Parkside will have to wait as the fire has a higher priority. Clark rushes down the hallway, makes sure he is unobserved, and is already taking off his glasses as he enters the supply room...

As Superman leaps out of the window, Lois steps off of the elevator and heads for Clark's office to tell him she is back, and maybe sound off to him about what a strange affair her aunt's wedding was. The post ceremony celebration was cut short when 'Uncle' Lamont announced he and Margo were being called away to handle a business emergency for Allard Industries. People protested: surely not on Christmas, and on your wedding day! But Margo joked about Mr. Allard being a demanding slave driver and they were use to these sudden demands on their time. As the couple left, Lois' reporter's instincts cut in and she recovered the crumpled telegram Lamont received. It was an odd message about some British company Lois has never heard of spending a lot of money locally. On the drive back to the Planet, Lois complained about Kent Allard and wondered what was so urgent about the wire Lamont got. Perry speculated that Allard may have given Cranston a personal note while he was at the wedding. Lois found this confusing as she had been watching for the famous recluse and hadn't seen him. Perry advised Lois to get checked for glasses as he had openly spoken to the man.

Lois enters Clark's office. "I'm back...Clark?"

Now where did he go? The receptionist said he has been in his office all morning. Typical of Clark, he is never there when you need him. Lois goes to Clark's desk to leave a note and sees the teletype. She immediately notices another reference to Leeway Limited. What is going on with this company, and why are they renting out the entire top floor of the most expensive hotel in the city? Smelling a big story, Lois decides to investigate.

X-X-X-X-X

The Shadow arrives at the commercial airfield just as Luthor's men are loading the last crate from the jet onto a large moving van. In the much larger vehicle the number and size of the crates don't seem so impressive. As the van pulls away The Shadow rushes back to his rented car and follows. He doesn't know Metropolis well, but he soon realizes they are headed for the harbor. He keeps far back, the van isn't hard to spot, and he relaxes. To any casual observer he will appear to be a man with his hat pulled low and a scarf over his lower face - completely appropriate for this time of year.

As they reach the oldest part of the city's harbor, an area where ships rarely dock these days, the moving van parks in between two identical vans that have their back doors open, showing that they are empty. Parking far enough away that his car won't be seen, The Shadow approaches to investigate. There are plenty of Luthor's troops around, looking both bored and tense. Lamont recognizes this from the war (actually both wars) when men would be waiting to go into combat.

The three moving vans are parked next to a small, old freighter and some of Luthor's men are there too. As the sound of the men working in the middle van reaches his ears, the unseen Shadow looks over the freighter. He quickly sees that it is not what it appears. The ship has hidden guns designed to put up a tough resistance to any Coast Guard or Navy vessels it encounters, and...it is totally robotic. Another example of Luthor's genius. Obviously whatever these men are going to steal will require a lot of space to move, hence the two empty vans. Their escape is suppose to be by this ship, but it is just a decoy. Once out to sea, it will put up a brief fight with whatever enemy it faces before being sunk to the bottom, and all will assume Luthor and his men have perished.

Now how are they really going to escape? The jet? Much too small for the loads these three vans can carry. The Shadow looks at the harbor and remembers one of Luthor's contributions to the war effort. He made vast improvements in sonar so that enemy subs could be detected while working on experimental subs for the Americans that would be very difficult to detect. The Shadow makes a mental bet with himself that Luthor plans to escape by way of some new, undetectable submarine. But, when does this show get on the road? He can do nothing more until these men are ready to pull out for their caper. The life of a superhero, sitting on your butt freezing while you wait for something to happen...

X-X-X-X-X

Lois rides the elevator to the floor just below the top floor of the hotel and uses the stairs to complete her journey. She anticipated the hotel's elevator operators have orders to carry no one to the penthouse. Walking down the thickly carpeted hallway, Lois goes to the largest suite, the one with a Do Not Disturb sign. She knocks.

The door is answered by two large men that Lois immediately feels nervous about. These are tough guys, the kind of men use to violence and breaking the law.

"Yeah...?" one of them snarls.

"Uh, my name is Lois Lane and...I was wondering if my uncle was here. Lamont Cranston?"

"Never heard of him. Youse got the wrong floor, lady. Ya ain't even suppose to be up here." the tough guy says as he starts to close the door. Over his shoulder Lois spots a man coming out of the bedroom...

"Hey, you're Lex Luthor! Mr. Luthor, Lois Lane from the Daily Planet. How about an interview?"

Luthor sighs. The timing is all wrong. "Seize her!"

Meanwhile...

Superman returns to the Planet building by way of the open window of the supply room. He briefly wonders if anyone is ever curious about why this window is always open in all sorts of weather. The battle with the blaze at the refinery went well, and between himself and the Metropolis fire department they managed to prevent any massive explosions. Superman pauses to sniff his costume...yes, it reeks of smoke. A quick blast of his heat vision thoroughly cleans the costume and his cold super breath cools it down enough so he can hastily redress as Clark. He must hurry. In order to help Jimmy with his first big story, after the fire Superman posed for a couple of photos and gave a brief interview. When he left the refinery Jimmy was already rushing for a phone booth...

Clark runs to his office just in time to answer the phone. "Clark Kent."

"Jeepers Mr. Kent, I thought maybe you had left for the day. The phone has been ringing for what seems like..."

"Jimmy, do you have a story?"

"Oh, yeah. Did I beat deadline?"

"Barely, if you hurry."

"Okay, a quote from Superman..."

Clark hastily writes up the story, knowing in advance what Jimmy is going to say. It is a clear, concise report and Clark feels a touch of pride in his protege's progress as a reporter. Clark hands off the story to a copy boy who rushes for the newsroom.

"Good work, Jimmy. Hurry back with those photos and we may be able to get them in the last edition."

Clark hangs up and pauses...now what was he doing before he was interrupted? Oh yes, the mystery man staying at the Parkside. Clark glances at the clock and winces. Time is getting late and he doesn't want to keep his mother waiting. Clark heads down the hallway to make sure Lois is sticking to her agreement to cover for him in the last hour of his day. He is surprised to find her office empty. There is only seconds before deadline. If Lois is working on a story, she isn't going to make it. Normally Clark would enjoy ribbing Lois about missing deadline, but not today. He needs her here. Typical.

Clark calls the receptionist. "Have you seen Miss Lane recently?"

"No Mr. Kent, she came in late in the morning, stayed about five minutes and then hurried out. She had that 'look', if you know what I mean."

"Yes, I do." Clark replies as he hangs up. Lois is definitely off on a hunt for a story, and he knows from experience these matters don't work on a set time schedule. Clark sighs knowing he will have to stay. He thinks of calling Ma Kent to let her know he will be late, but by the time the long distance operator can get a call through on Christmas day, he will already be there. All he can do now is wait.

X-X-X-X-X

Captain Frank Andersen heads the uniformed security service at the Metropolis Mint, and he is working the late shift on Christmas so that his married deputy can be with his family. There are only 12 here tonight, all volunteers, but that is half the usual complement of guards. Still, you make allowances for Christmas...

"Captain, three large moving vans just pulled up to the loading dock. Nothing is scheduled for now."

"Alright Berg, we'll see what is going on." Andersen replies before making an announcement over the P.A. system, "All guards report to the loading dock, ready for action!"

Moments later the full complement of treasury guards arrive at the locked doors of the loading dock. Every man, beside his sidearm, is carrying a Thompson submachine gun. Andersen looks out the small window and sees a short man who is too thinly dressed for this weather. He shivers so much he nearly loses his grip on the clipboard he is holding. He pounds on the door and whines...

"Hey, come on, open up will ya? It's cold out here!"

Andersen gives the nod and the main door of the loading dock slides all the way up, and then out steps the intimidating sight of a dozen men with automatic weapons. The delivery man steps back nervously...

"Jeez Louise, what's up with you guys?"

"This is federal property and you're trespassing. Explain yourself."

"Hey, I'm just delivering new office furniture."

"It's not scheduled."

"I don't know nuthin' about that. All I know is the new stuff is suppose to be here now, exchanged for the old, so that when people come back from Christmas they will get a n-nice surprise. Damn, I wish I had brought my heavy coat!"

The delivery man hands over his paperwork and Andersen has to admit it looks legitimate.

"Why are you so late?" Andersen asks as he nods toward the setting sun.

"There was a fire on the edge of town and the train tracks that go right by the fire were the ones carrying the train with the furniture. The train had to be rerouted and it took forever to get here. Normally I wouldn't mind since I'm getting triple overtime, but I didn't know I would be working this late and it's really getting cold. Can we get to work?"

"Present arms! Okay, open one of the vans and let's see this 'furniture'." Andersen says, only making this concession because he heard the report of the huge refinery fire.

The treasury guards train their weapons on the middle van's doors. The delivery man swings the doors open and the guards are astonished by what they see. Inside there is a large machine on an electrically powered sled, and at the front of the sled is a bald man on an attached chair that is reminiscent of a throne. On his head the man wears a strange helmet with blinking lights and a cable that attaches it to the machine. The guards can't help but chuckle because it looks like some ridiculous gizmo out of Buck Rogers. The bald man, who looks vaguely familiar, glares at the amused guards and barks an order...

"Bow."

Every man suddenly stiffens in obedience and dutifully bows to their new master, Lex Luthor.

To Be Continued.

Please review.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

A SHADOWY CHRISTMAS

X-X-X-X-X

Superman flies over Kansas, slowing as he approaches Smallville. He fondly recognizes numerous landmarks from his childhood as he approaches the Kent farm. There's the old high school, decorated for the holiday, the malt shop where he and friends would hang out after school, and there's the Lang's old house where his high school girlfriend Lana use to live. He smiles as he remembers how pretty Lana was and the fun they use to have together, especially that last year when they use to sneak off to the barn… Speaking of that, Superman makes a quick landing behind the old barn, making certain no one sees him. The nearest neighbor is half a mile away, but you can never be too careful. It would be awkward to explain how Clark made it home all the way to Smallville from Metropolis for a few hours stay, but it would be impossible to explain why Superman is visiting the Kent farm.

After a quick change back to Clark, he approaches the house while casually carrying the heavy TV set under one arm. It is good to be home, but every visit back is a little bittersweet. Only two years ago Pa died when his heart finally gave out, and since then Ma has been looking more frail every time he stops by. Clark has tried to get his mother to come back to the city to live with him, but she stubbornly clings to the farm and this community. While old age has slowed Martha Kent, she is still sharp and determined to have her own way.

Martha was born here, was baptized in the small country church down the road, was married there, christened her son there and held her husband's funeral there. She intends her funeral, whenever it comes, will be in the same church. In the meantime, neighboring farmers lease the Kent land and share the profits with the Widow Kent, providing her with a good income. Other neighbors visit regularly, checking up on the old gal and helping with any big chores that need to be done and keeping Clark informed of all news. In truth nothing more could be done for Mrs. Kent in the big city as it is only her many years catching up with her.

The door swings open as Clark gets to the porch, and a happy Martha Kent embraces her son. From the open door Clark can smell the aroma of delicious food, and he knows Ma has been cooking all day, preparing a huge feast.

"Oh Clark, it's so good to see you even though it has been only a month since you were here for Thanksgiving. Son, I was beginning to get worried when you were late."

"I'm sorry about that Ma, but I wasn't able to get away as soon as I planned. I hope you haven't gone to too much fuss?"

"Oh, no bother at all. Now I wonder what could be in that big box that you've wrapped so prettily?"

"You'll just have to wait until after dinner when we unwrap our presents."

"Oh pooh, you're no fun. So why were you late?"

As they enter the house, Clark begins to explain about how his co-worker, Lois, let him down when she was suppose to cover for him. Even as he tells the story, Clark worries about where Lois is and has she gotten herself into trouble again?

X-X-X-X-X

In the rotunda of the Metropolis Mint, Lois Lane is tied up and has been discarded into a corner, almost forgotten about. She has watched in dismay as Luthor and his troops, plus the treasury guards, have gone about efficiently looting the vast sums of cash stored in this facility. She has also witnessed printing plates, supplies of ink & paper as well as a lot of documents going into the waiting moving vans. The robbery is going like clockwork with no alarms sounded and no mistakes made. Luthor and his diabolical machine are parked in the center of the rotunda, surrounded by the many marble columns that hold up the central roof and skylight above. The lighting remains subdued, as it always is at night, but the semidarkness seems to support 'King' Luthor's mood. For a man who is pulling off the greatest robbery in history, he doesn't look happy.

"What's wrong, Luthor? Those hundreds of millions of dollars aren't enough for you?"

Lex looks over to the corner where Lois was dumped and for a moment he seems confused by her presence. "Oh, Miss Lane, I apologize for being such a bad host. I should have made you more comfortable. I'm sure we could arrange a chair and maybe coffee?"

"No thanks. I don't want to be treated better by you. I want to remember how mad I am when I write the story of what you have done. Really Mr. Luthor, why do you need so much? Wouldn't a simple bank robbery have satisfied your greed?"

"Greed has nothing to do with this, Miss Lane. You see all of that money that people value so much? Just green paper, which I will prove in the months ahead when I make it worthless scrap. When I am done, toilet paper will be more valuable – at least it has a practical use."

"You're mad."

Lex winces at the charge as he has been experiencing a lot of doubt ever since he used his brilliant machine to force the treasury guards to join them. For the first time he has been contemplating the awesome responsibility in taking over another person and bending him to your will. Once again that little voice in the back of his mind is telling him this scheme is unworthy of his genius and that he has indeed gone mad. It is annoying to hear his own doubts echoed back to him.

"Be careful what you say, Miss Lane. If I use my mind control machine on you, I can get you to eagerly obey my every whim…no matter what it may be." Lex says with a leer.

Lois blushes at the implication but retorts, "Superman will stop you! You and your whole army are going to be behind bars!"

"Superman? I'm counting on him to make an appearance – it is central to my plan."

"You can't really believe that silly device of yours can conquer the Man of Steel. Superman is invulnerable!"

"Only his body. His mind is just a mind. With my superior intellect and will, amplified by my device, Superman will be no harder to take control of than the guards at this facility."

At that moment Luthor's right hand man approaches. "Boss, we're done. Everything is loaded and ready to go."

"Alright Tanner, position the snipers on the roof and sound the burglar alarm. Keep the police at a distance, but don't kill anyone unless they try to charge the building. If I am correct, Superman will be here within minutes…"

X-X-X-X-X

With dinner over, Clark has been busy setting up the new television and the large antenna that he has placed at the top of the farm's windmill. Martha Kent looks dubious as she examines the new device.

"This is very nice of you Clark, but I don't need a television machine."

"It isn't about need, Ma. You will enjoy this, and trust me, you will grow to enjoy having it around."

Martha chuckles. "That's funny. I remember saying the same thing to my mother when Jonathan and I bought her first radio. She looked at it with as much doubt as I'm doing now with this. In time she learned to love it."

"Then you'll give it a try?"

"Yes, of course. If there's one thing I've learned in all of my years, you can't stop progress. But Clark, will this be able to pick up any channels? Smallville doesn't have a TV station."

"With the antenna I've installed, I'm sure you will be able to pick up at least two channels out of Witchita. Now we turn it on...you have to wait for the tubes to warm up just like with the radio."

After a few moments a snowy picture begins to appear on the screen. Clark begins making adjustments, explaining to his mother about fine tuning the channel and how to use the vertical and horizontal controls. Martha is still dubious, but watches carefully while trying to absorb all that her son is saying. Suddenly the picture clears and they have a surprisingly good view of Martha's first time with TV - a commercial.

"Oh look Clark, it's a Burma Shave ad. Remember the one that was always on the road to Smallville? 'Hay is costly, Straw is cheaper, Grass is free. Buy a farm you get all three'."

In unison they finish with, "Burma Shave!"

They laugh and Martha goes back to watching the screen. Clark glances at the clock...

"Hey, we're just in time to watch 'Burns & Allen'."

"Oh, I use to listen to them all of the time on the radio. Gracie Allen is hilarious."

Clark smiles as he sees the excitement on his mother's face. He is so glad she likes her present, and he hides the sadness he also feels. He can't shake the feeling that this will be their last Christmas together...

"Clark, what's happening?"

Clark looks back to the screen aware that the program has only been going for a few seconds when... "Oh, it's a news bulletin, Ma. There must be a major story breaking."

From the TV, "We interrupt your regular program for a special news report. In Metropolis, a small army of armed men have taken over that city's mint in a daring Christmas day robbery. Police have arrived on the scene, but sustained heavy gunfire is keeping them at bay. The city's mayor has put in an appeal to the governor for the National Guard, and calls are going out for Superman's aid. Right now everyone is asking: Where is Superman?"

"Clark, you have to go."

"But Ma..."

"Son, we raised you to put your duty first. Don't worry about me and our celebration. We will have lots of Christmases together. Now go, I look forward to watching the report about your next success."

"Okay Ma, and Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Clark, and be careful!"

Clark Kent rushes out the front door, already making the change. He briefly wonders if this daring robbery has anything to do with the mystery man who was staying at the Parkside Hotel, which he never got around to investigating. No matter, whoever is responsible for taking him away from his mother on Christmas is going to pay a hefty price when Superman gets his hands on him...

X-X-X-X-X

"WHERE IS SUPERMAN?" a frustrated Lex Luthor roars. He resumes pacing the short distance he is allowed by the cable that attaches him to his mind control machine. "He should have been here over an hour ago!"

Archie Tanner suggests, "Boss, maybe it's time we give up on Superman and get out of here? More and more cops keep showing up, and we were never suppose to be here this long. We're keeping the cops at a distance for now, but it won't be long before the National Guard shows up with tanks!"

Luthor sits back down on the chair attached to the electric sled that allows his machine to be mobile. The entire device is nearly as large as one of those new import cars, a Volkswagen.

"We stay. If the cops charge, mow them down. If the National Guard shows up, I'll take control of whatever officer is in charge, the same as I plan to do with the police commissoner when we make good our escape."

Standing nearby, unseen for all of this time, The Shadow listens to the growing militancy of Luthor and decides it is time to act. As long as the bad guys were not planning on killing anyone, he was content to wait on Superman to see if this new hero is as tough as everyone says, but with the Man of Steel a no-show, it is up to him. The problem is, Luthor has at least a hundred men with him, all trained soldiers, and the treasury guards are avidly obeying his every command. These are long odds even for someone with his powers. And, there is the unknown risk factor of Luthor's machine. What are it's limits? So far it has been impressive. Best to start with eliminating that...

Moving to the shadows of the many columns that circle this room, The Shadow readies himself. He removes his .45's, knowing there is a drawback to sustained gunfire. The muzzle flashes and loud gunshots momentarily disturb his concentration, and he will be briefly visible as he runs from column to column firing at the machine. He just hopes Luthor's men aren't as good at shooting as they seem to be. Taking a deep breath, The Shadow aims for the machine and pulls both triggers, instantly running for the cover of the next column and firing again and again. As he continues circling the room, constantly firing into Luthor's machine, Luthor's mercenaries and the treasury guards get brief glimpses of a fast moving man, barely visible for split seconds as he runs between the shadows.

Behind him Luthor hears his machine being smashed to pieces, and he instinctively takes cover. His soldiers begin firing wildly, unable to get a bead on the fast moving man in black. Where is he? Over there! No, over here! Bullets begin spraying everywhere and richocets ping off the marble walls.

"Stop firing you lunatics!" Luthor orders as Tanner joins him.

"Boss, who is it? We keep trying to shoot the guy, but...it looks like he's disappearing. Is that possible?"

"It's happening, so it's possible. My machine..." Luthor says as he risks moving closer to examine his device. "This isn't too bad. I have spare parts and I can fix this in less than a half hour, but we have to keep that gunman away. Men, form a defensive perimeter around me, treasury guards to the outer ring."

Luthor's troops and the guards obey and Lex begins working frantically on his invention. If Superman should show up now...

Tanner asks, "Hey Boss, with the machine smashed, how come the treasury guards are still obeying you?"

Luthor hesitates, seemingly confused. "Uh, well...it's a function of the machine, sort of like a post hypnotic suggestion. Yes, that's it. It is a design feature because obviously I can't remain hooked up to this device all of the time. It takes awhile for the effects to wear off."

Tanner nods. That makes sense, but why did Luthor seem so unsure about a machine he designed?

On the other side of the room The Shadow pauses to reload his guns and to plan his next move. The treasury guards are between him and the machine, and even though they are working for Luthor, he knows they are innocent puppets in all of this. If Luthor gets the machine working again, he may have no other choice but to start killing - starting with Lex Luthor. Where is Superman?

X-X-X-X-X

Outside, further from the mint than he would like, Inspector Bill Henderson is in command of the growing number of cops assembling to deal with this problem. Most of the force was off duty due to the holiday, but as the news of the robbery became public, every officer in the city responded to the call to arms. The city's police commissoner has finally been located - celebrating Christmas at his in-laws' house in the suburbs, and he is expected here within the hour. The call to the governor is slowly being responded to - the same problem, everyone is away for Christmas. Henderson contemplates how many men it will cost him if he has to stage an invasion of the mint. If only...

"Look, up in the sky!"

Henderson breathes a sigh of relief. Although Superman has only been active in Metroplois for a few months, the cops in this town have grown to appreciate his many timely appearances. With a woosh and a thump, Superman lands a few feet away.

"Good evening Inspector, and Merry Christmas."

"Sadly, not a very merry one, Superman."

"What's the situation?"

"There are dozens of armed men inside the mint, apparently all experienced mercenaries. My men haven't been able to get any closer as there are a couple of squads of top notch snipers on the roof. We've had no casualties so far - just some popped tires, smashed radiators and one cop even had his hat shot off. The snipers are just showing off, proving to us that if we rush them, it will be a blood bath. Also, we believe there are hostages. A dozen treasury department guards were on duty when the robbery began, and there were no reports of gunfire prior to the alarm being sounded. But, we did hear a lot of gunshots a few minutes ago."

"I see. Very well Inspector, if you will be patient, I'll handle the retaking of the mint, and I'll signal your men when it is safe to enter."

"Gladly." Henderson says with a sigh of relief.

Superman takes three quick steps and launches himself into the air. Henderson watches in awe, even though he has seen this sight several times now. On the roof one of the snipers spots the approaching Man of Steel and hastily calls out, "Superman..."! It is all he has time to say as he and the other snipers are quickly and painfully subdued by the superfast hero. Once all of the snipers are knocked out and their rifles twisted into the shape of pretzels, Superman noisily drops through the skylight to the rotunda below...

The Shadow watches the appearance of Superman and gives him credit for a spectacular entrance. Superman pauses to take in the situation and is surprised by what he sees...

"Lex Luthor? You're behind this madness? What happened to you man? You were the most respected scientist in the world and you resort to mere theft?"

Luthor curses under his breath. If only he can get a few more minutes, he will have his machine fixed. "Keep him busy!"

Luthor's mercenaries and the treasury guards open up with everything they've got. Hundreds of bullets begin bouncing off Superman's body, far more than he has ever endured before. He finds the experience disconcerting, but it does him no harm. Superman responds with an enormous blast of his superbreath, and the crowd of armed men are knocked down like bowling pins. Luthor 'grrs' in frustration and abandons his work. Obviously he has failed.

Lois calls out, "Superman, I'm so glad to see you!"

Superman smiles and goes over to Lois, snapping the ropes that bind her. "Miss Lane, how did you get caught up in this fiasco?"

"Quite by accident. I was following up a lead and stumbled upon Luthor at the Parkside Hotel. He took me prisoner. Superman, that machine is some sort of mind control device. Luthor took control of the treasury guards and forced them to do his bidding."

"How did the machine get damaged?"

"That was done by...The Shadow."

"The Shadow? I've heard legends about the man for years, but I was never sure if he was real." Superman calls out loudly, "Shadow, sir, will you come out? I'd be honored to meet you."

"And I you."

Superman is startled, but tries not to show it. The Shadow is standing right next to him, having suddenly appeared out of nowhere. How...?

"Oh, uh, there you are. Thank you for your help."

"Superman, the danger isn't over."

"Luthor? Trust me, I can handle him."

"No, Luthor was never the threat. The real danger is from..."

Suddenly an eerie laugh echoes through the marble halls, and everyone shivers with a sense of foreboding. For the first time The Shadow experiences what he has been dishing out for years.

"He's here."

Superman is about to ask who when from the shadows there steps a man of Mongol heritage, dressed in silk robes and armed only with a sword. Around the man's head is a metal band that, appropriate to the season, glows with red and green lights.

"Shiwan Khan." The Shadow bitterly mutters.

Khan smiles, "Shadow, my old enemy, why are you not amazed by my seeming resurrection from the dead? You should be gasping in astonishment and fear."

"I knew you were still alive after that nightmare you gave me. Your cruel nature betrayed you."

Superman asks, "Who is this man?"

"My greatest enemy, a depraved lunatic who has plagued the world with his mad schemes for decades."

"Shiwan Khan? Never heard of him."

"Few have. Like me, he keeps his name spoken of only in whispers. I thought he died five years ago in our last battle, but he has made more than one 'return from the dead'."

Lex Luthor, who was protected from Superman's wind blast by being behind his machine, approaches and says, "This man can cause nightmares? For years I've been plagued with horrible dreams and a sense of...madness."

The Shadow answers, "It is never enough for Khan just to take over a man's mind. He must also torture his victims, ususally through their dreams."

Lois looks at Luthor and sees a fundamental change in the man. The anger and violence are gone from his face and in their place are only curiosity and confusion.

"Shouldn't you be trying to fix your machine?"

"That thing? It does nothing - a Rube Goldberg contraption designed to make me look foolish. The helmet was made from a woman's hairdryer!"

Khan chuckles. "I admit, I enjoyed making you look the clown. Lex Luthor, supposedly the greatest mind on the planet, but just another puppet for me to control."

Luthor shakes his head. "I can't believe you were able to control me for all of these years, a man of my intellect."

"It was childishly easy. I only needed to stroke that masive ego of yours while supressing your miniscule sense of morality. After that I arranged for you to 'accidentily' find my journal and your own scientific curiosity followed the path I chose. Now that I am done with your services, I have released my control so that your humiliation can be complete."

"That headband you are wearing, I remember now. That's what I've really been working on for the last few years."

"Yes, this power amplification device is the edge I have been seeking for a long time. You see Shadow, after our last encounter when I nearly died thanks to your servant Bluke..."

"My friend, Jericho."

"Semantics. While you distracted me, he was able to seize me and throw me off of that cliff..."

"A two hundred foot drop. How did you survive?"

"Just before he threw me over, I tried to take hold of his mind, but he was too filled with rage for me to gain control in such a short time."

"Well, you did murder his wife."

"Looking back, although it was enjoyable, that may have been a tactical error. However, I did manage to influence Bluke's mind enough to have him toss me to a ledge that was only twenty feet down. I was injured, but I managed to survive. As I hid from you, I swore to myself that I would never again face you unless I had a clear advantage. We have always been too evenly matched, Shadow, and luck always seems to favor you. But now, I have the edge I always wanted. This device amplifies my power, as you can see by my having gained control of the guards at this facility."

Lois asks, "So Luthor never had a willing part in this crime?"

Khan replies, "Only in the sense that he was the inspiration for my plan. During my recovery, I read of the lab explosion that caused Luthor to go into seclusion. I realized this was an ideal situation for me to gain control of a valuable asset. I manipulated him into the quest to develop the power headband I am wearing, originally planning to use it to take over the minds of all of the world's leaders. Through them I would rule from behind the scenes. But then, three months ago, this godlike being known as Superman arrived. I saw a chance to step out from the shadows and rule openly as is my right as the last descendant of the great Genghis Khan."

Superman says, "I've heard enough of this."

The Shadow warns, "Careful Superman, you don't understand the risk..."

"No offense Shadow, this creepy little guy may be your archenemy, but he's no match for me."

Smiling confidently, Superman takes a step forward, then a second step but without the smile. He manages one more difficult step before stopping.

Khan orders, "Kneel before me, slave."

To the shock and dismay of all, Superman drops down on one knee and responds in a dull montone, "Yes Master."

Khan begins a long, high pitched laugh that reminds everyone of a schoolgirl's giggle. "I did it! I did it! Superman is mine and soon the whole world will follow suit. All will bow before Shiwan Khan."

Lois cries out with tears in her eyes, "Oh Superman, no, please no..."

The Shadow comments, "It's too late Miss Lane, Khan has him."

"Yes my old enemy, victory is at long last mine. Oh, I am so going to enjoy myself in the decades to come. Now, what should I do with you...Lamont."

Lois asks, "Lamont?"

Khan answers, "Oh, didn't you share the truth with your new family member? Yes, the mysterious Shadow is Lamont Cranston, or should I say: Kent Allard."

The Shadow sighs and wonders what is the point now? He removes the hat and scarf, revealing the face of a 40 year old Lamont Cranston, followed by a 25 year old Kent Allard.

Lois gasps. "How is this possible? I've seen the wartime photos of Kent Allard, and you hardly look any older, but...you're Perry White's age!"

Khan says, "Shall I explain it, Shadow? You see Miss Lane, the powers I and 'Lamont' share also slow the aging process. I myself am nearly seventy, but I look no older than thirty."

Lex comments, "I would have guessed thirty-five."

A brief frown of annoyance crosses Khan's face and The Shadow uses that moment to draw one of his .45's with amazing speed, but even with the gun aimed right at Khan, he cannot pull the trigger as his body is now frozen.

Khan laughs. "I wondered how long it would take you to try that. So predictable. Sadly my old enemy, the time has come for you to die. Now, how should I do it?" (Khan removes his sword and contemplates it with an evil grin on his face.) "Shall I hack you into small pieces while you watch in horror as your body is cut away? No...I'm wearing my best robes and that would be messy. Perhaps my new servant should be given a chance to show his loyalty? Well, Superpuppet, would you be willing to burn this man to a crisp with your heat vision for me?"

Superman glares at The Shadow as if the man were his worse enemy. "Gladly, Master."

Khan laughs again. "This is so much fun! But no, since you already have an instrument of death in your hand, I think it appropriate that you do it yourself, Shadow. Place your gun beside your head and pull the trigger."

The Shadow uses all of his power to resist the inluence of Khan's enhanced abilities, but the best he can do is slow the process. Slowly, his body repsonds to Khan's command and the gun muzzle comes closer and closer to his head...

"Why don't you beg, Shadow? Perhaps if you snivel and beseech for mercy, I will allow you to live as a mindless drone."

Allowed to speak, The Shadow responds with: "Jericho, now!"

Suddenly there is a brillant flash of light from the front of The Shadow's trench coat. For a split second Khan's concentration is disturbed. It is enough time. The Shadow's gun returns to target and the bullet catches Khan right between the eyes. The man is dead before he hits the floor, and The Shadow breathes a sigh of relief. When he realized Khan was still alive, he prepared a surprise by adding to his trench coat a series of flashbulbs that were hidden by the belt and buttons - all rigged to go off by a remote control device he entrusted to his old friend, Jericho. By radio Jericho has been listening to all of this, waiting for The Shadow's command, and very glad he has had another chance to help.

Superman, as well as the treasury guards, begin to blink and shake their heads as they come out from the mind control they were under. The mercenaries, now recovering from Superman's earlier attack, begin raising their guns in the face of the threat from the guards, but Superman quickly calls out...

"Do any of you think you can take on these guards, and me, and win?"

After only a brief hesitation, the mercenaries drop their weapons and surrender. The treasury guards quickly have the bad guys lined up against the wall.

"Join them, Luthor." Superman orders.

"Me? But you heard, my mind was being controlled against my will."

"That will be something for the courts to decide."

Lois rushes over to Superman, resisting the urge to throw her arms around him. "Oh Superman, I am so glad to see you back to normal."

"I'm glad to be back Miss Lane, even though I'm still a little confused about what happened. Did I really become Shiwan Khan's slave?"

Before Lois can answer, a loud voice calls out: "Everyone, may I have your attention?"

Every person in the room turns and sees that The Shadow is now wearing the power amplifier headband...

X-X-X-X-X

"Oh Lamont, it's beautiful."

"Very beautiful." Lamont Cranston says as he watches his wife modeling her Christmas present, a mink coat. He is delighted that Margo likes her gift - he is doubly delighted that the coat is all she is wearing. Lamont catches a glimpse of himself in the same full length mirror Margo is using and realizes that in his haste to get back to her before Christmas was formally over, he has forgotten to remove his Shadow outfit. He takes a critical look at the man in the trenchcoat, slouch hat and red scarf. When he first began fighting crime back during Prohibition, he thought he was the coolest thing around. Now, he just looks old-fashioned.

"So tell me what happened next?"

Undressing, Lamont replies, "Do we have to talk about this now? It is our wedding night."

"I want to know! Shiwan Khan was finally, truly dead (no tears there), and you put on the power headband...?"

"The device amplified my abilities amazingly. I was able to take full control of every person at the mint. First, I removed any memory of The Shadow ever being there."

"Poor Lois, the story of the year and she won't remember you are The Shadow."

"The attempted robbery will be plenty for her to write about. I then altered everyone's memory, deleting Luthor as the villain of the piece and replacing him with Khan. Luthor will be viewed as Khan's prisoner for all of these years."

"You're letting Luthor off of the hook? Is that wise?"

"I'm not sure, but it is what's fair. What Khan said about Luthor's personality is true. It wouldn't take much to send him down the path of evil. But, he had no willing participation in this crime and he deserves a chance to make his own choices, even if they will most likely be bad ones."

Margo responds, "'Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows'. But...couldn't you just use the headband gizmo to guarantee Luthor will stay on the straight and narrow?"

"Only if I were willing to spend the rest of my life reinforcing that alteration of his basic personality. Without the headband's constant influence, he would quickly return to his true nature."

"What about the large machine Luthor built?"

"I had Superman smash it into tiny pieces, and Luthor will remember it as a stunray device he was forced by Khan to create under threat of death. The treasury guards will confirm this is what the device was for. No one will remember anything about mind control or the headband."

"Which you are keeping?"

"It, plus my power, is the only thing that can stop Superman."

"You still don't trust him?"

"On the contrary, I now agree with Lois, he is a good man and I trust he will remain that way. However, Khan found a way to control Superman, and who's to say some other villain won't do the same? This also makes me think of a new direction for The Shadow's career."

Margo frowns. "What direction?"

"As you pointed out, there is a new generation of heroes popping up everywhere. These men and women in their garish costumes, operating out in the open, might need the counsel of a more experienced hero. Plus, someone to watch and make sure they stay on 'the straight and narrow'."

"So, instead of going out to fight crime on your own, you'll serve as a sort of senior advisor slash behavior monitor?"

"It's all I'll have time for since I will be busy with my new family."

Margo smiles, happy with this compromise. She didn't want to make Lamont miserable by forcing his retirement, and this sounds a lot safer than the life they have been leading. "I think this is the best Christmas present you could have given me."

Margo opens up the mink and gives a welcoming smile. Lamont dims the lights and approaches the bed, arriving first is his shadow...

THE END

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